


Manifest Destiny

by orphan_account



Category: Gymnastics RPF, Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Angel Wings, Arranged Marriage, Courtship, First Love, First Time, M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 02:31:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1881771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where humans not only sprout wings and fly but mate for life Jonathan Horton is a late bloomer.... a very late bloomer. He’s twenty-seven and his wings have yet to grow in or “Manifest” as it’s called. Fearful for their son’s future happiness Jonathan’s parents contact another mother and father whose son is going through the same thing in hopes that the two young men will form a bond. That boy’s name is Matt Grevers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Manifest Destiny

* * *

When Jonathan Horton is ten years old he walks in on his parents grooming each other.

It’s a hot summer afternoon in Houston and he’s come in from horsing around with some of the older boys in the neighborhood to ask his mother if it’s okay for him to have supper at his best friend Kyle's house that evening. He skips down the long hallway of his childhood home toward his parent’s room, which sits at the very back of the house. The question is already halfway out of his mouth before he looks up, hand turning the doorknob.

He says, “Hey, Ma. Can I go over to-” and as he looks up all he can see is the expansive feathers of his mother’s pale pink wings entwined with the much darker blue feathers of his father’s wings and he knows immediately that he has stumbled in on a very intimate moment. He quickly turns away from the sight, face flush with embarrassment as he says, “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.” over and over again until he’s retreated into the relative safety of his own bedroom.

His mother comes to him some time later with a plate of freshly made chocolate chip cookies, a glass of milk, and an explanation. She tells him that what he saw was as natural as breathing and although it was something very personal between two people who truly loved each other it was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Don't you worry, honey” she tells her son. “You’ll understand when you Manifest. Your wings will grow in and then you will meet someone who means as much to you as your father does to me and then you and that person will do what you saw me and your father doing. It's just another part of life; a very private part of life but a part of life nonetheless.”

“Okay,” Jonathan says, even though he doesn't quite understand. He knows that it will all work itself out eventually.

But for some reason it doesn’t.

\--

Time passes and he gets older and older but his wings never grow in. He turns sixteen, then eighteen, then twenty, and he still doesn’t Manifest. His parents take him to the best doctors money can buy but even with all the poking and prodding and embarrassing medical tests they still come up with nothing. It goes on like this for years until Jonathan takes a look around one day and realizes that he’s twenty seven and still living with his parents without a single feather sprouting out of his back while all of the kids he grew up with have not only Manifested, but found mates and started having children of their own. His sister, Margo, has Manifested as well and is in the middle of a very serious courtship with her high school sweetheart.

It’s that night as he sits in their dark dining room, face shining in the light of the twenty seven candles on the triple chocolate birthday cake set on the table in front of him, that he comes out to his family. His mother smiles softly and says she’s always known. Margo smirks and says that she’s known all along too. His father nods in agreement, jokes about how Jonathan couldn’t ever seem to take the easy route in life and everyone laughs. Jonathan laughs along with his family but feels his heart breaking inside his chest. He just wants to be normal: to be someone’s special someone and it’s just not fair. He sighs and blows out his birthday candles, his entire being- mind and body and soul- consumed by a desperate wish..... a wish for love, or at least something like it.

\--

Three weeks later Jonathan gets his wish.

His mother is the one who brings it to him.

“I know it’s probably not what you were thinking of for yourself as far as your future goes, but this boy is in the same situation as you are,” She says in a soft voice. “His parents as well as your father and I believe this is something that could benefit the both of you.”

“Is this some kind of _Love The One You’re With_ type thing?” Jonathan asks.

“Yes, I suppose you could say that” his mother confirms. “And even if it doesn’t turn out to be love, you’ll at least have someone who knows how you feel about things.”

“So who is this guy?” Jonathan inquires. “How do you know he’s not some sort of serial killer or something?”

She laughs, says, “Darlin’, he’s no more of a serial killer than you are.”

“That’s not very comforting,” Jonathan deadpans, intent on denying his mother’s request, but then he looks into her eyes and sees something he’s hardly ever seen there before.

Hope.

“Okay,” Jonathan says. “I’ll meet him.”

\--

The guy’s name is Matt Grevers.

He has eyes the color of the ocean after a storm, unruly hair that’s more butterscotch than blonde, and he’s so tall that when they’re facing each other Jonathan is level with Matt’s pectorals rather than his eyes. Matt is a year older than him and could probably bench press Jonathan if he wanted too, but at the moment he seems very shy... almost small. Matt’s parents have traveled all the way from Illinois in hopes that Jonathan and their son will somehow make a family where there is none.

“Hey,” Jonathan says in greeting.

“Hi,” Matt says in return. He goes on to say, “I, uh... I got you something,” The taller male then pulls something out of his pocket and presents it to Jonathan, cheeks burning a ruddy hue of pink as he extends his hand with the small gift in the center of his palm.

It’s a white gold, oval shaped brooch not much bigger than a half-dollar coin inlaid with the image of a pair of wings fully extended as if in flight. It’s not just any old brooch... it’s a declaration of intent, the first step in courting. Jonathan feels his whole body start to tremble and he reaches out with shaking hands to accept the brooch. He nearly drops it but then he feels Matt’s much larger hand close around his own. When their fingertips touch a spark of electricity travels up Jonathan’s arm and he can’t help but gasp. His eyes lock with Matt’s and he feels his knees give out from underneath him. Jonathan closes his eyes, expecting to feel the floor greet him in a matter of seconds. What he’s not expecting is for Matt’s muscular arms to encircle his waist and hold him up.

“Easy there,” Matt murmurs. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Something deep in Jonathan’s chest lurches as his eyes meet Matt’s and for the first time in his life he feels.... he feels.... wanted. But he also feels absolutely, positively terrified. “Don’t be afraid.” Matts says softly. “I’m gonna take care of you.”

“Who said I was afraid?” Jonathan replies in a guarded tone. “I never said that I was afraid.”

Matt smiles once again, pulls Jonathan in even closer and says, “You didn’t have to.”


End file.
